Asperger's syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder considered to be on the "high functioning" end of the spectrum. Some who suffer from Asperger's can have high intelligence and narrow,...

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What is Asperger's?

Asperger's syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder considered to be on the "high functioning" end of the spectrum. Some who suffer from Asperger's can have high intelligence and narrow, sometimes obsessive interests but lack social skills.Asperger's traitsLimited or inappropriate social interaction."Robotic" or repetitive speech.Challenges with nonverbal communication coupled with average to above average verbal skills.Tendency to discuss self rather than others.Inability to understand social/emotional issues or nonliteral phrases.Lack of eye contact or reciprocal conversation.Obsession with specific, often unusual, topics.One-sided conversations.Awkward movements and/or mannerisms.Source: www.autismspeaks.org

But when their son, Brandon, was about to enter Perry High School this year, Melissa Wise couldn't help but worry.

"Is he going to be the kid in the corner by himself?" she wondered.

The worrying was needless. Brandon has come a long way since The Independent wrote about him in 2009, when he was 10 years old.

He doesn't eat lunch by himself, and he is gaining a confidence in himself and his abilities that was not evident before, his mother said.

Brandon has Asperger's syndrome, a disorder on the Autism Spectrum.

The syndrome manifests itself in different ways. For Brandon, a sensitivity to eating utensils leaves him eating a steady diet of finger foods, including chicken nuggets and Norcia Bakery's pepperoni rolls. Using fine motor skills, such as tying his shoe laces, is hard for Brandon.

The Wises are fine with letting Brandon eat finger foods for as long as he likes and with buying special laces so that he doesn't have to tie his shoes.

"He's stressed out enough with life without having to tie his shoes," Melissa Wise said. "Anything I can do to lessen that, to make him less anxious, I will do it."

SECOND HOME

While Melissa Wise stressed about the transition to high school, it was like a second home to Brandon and, she said, everything fell into place.

His dad is a custodian at the school so Brandon had spent a lot of time there before actually attending the school.

"He knew his way around and that was probably a big advantage for him," his mother said.

He also knew some of the his teachers, she said.

"As nervous as I was, I don't know if he was, everything lined up," she said.

For Brandon, freshman year isn't much different than any other school year.

The 14-year-old's course load includes some college prep classes, Melissa Wise said.

"All my grades are better than Cs," he said. "I don't have to study. I just know everything."

Melissa Wise explained that Brandon misses points for participation and group activities.

"Brandon takes everything so literal. He says it's optional, so he doesn't want to do it. We try to explain to him if he wants to go to college he needs to go above and beyond.

"He is so smart and he loves to learn and to read — he just soaks everything in."

If he is interested in a subject, she said, he will know every detail he can about it.

Page 2 of 3 - He meets two times a day with an intervention specialist to keep him on track, said his mother. The specialist makes sure Brandon is turning in his assignments.

Brandon, said Melissa Wise, can do many things at one time — play a game on the computer, read, watch TV and contribute to a conversation rooms away — but he is very disorganized.

"Everything is everywhere," Melissa Wise said. "It's funny. His brain can do so many things at one time."

Wise sees college in Brandon's future but first he has to get through high school.

While Brandon is mastering the academic side of high school, he doesn't get the social aspects, she said.

"The drama of the other kids," she said. "He just doesn't understand why students are into many things."

For example, homecoming was a mystery to Brandon.

"He couldn't understand why everyone was talking about homecoming," she said. "He's almost above it. He is ready for life without that stuff."

But as a mother, Melissa Wise aches when she sees her son not enjoying and experiencing those high school memories.

She has hope that by his senior year, he will have attended a homecoming dance and other social events.

WRESTLING FRIENDSHIP

From an early age, Brandon has wrestled.

"When he was in kindergarten we put him in wrestling, that was his physical and occupational therapy," Melissa Wise said.

Individuals with Asperger's have difficulties with fine motor skills and often lack muscle tone, she said.

As a freshman, Brandon has joined the highly successful Perry High School wrestling program, wrestling on the junior varsity team — the gold team.

Melissa Wise said her son's progress is evident.

While a seventh-grader, he won eight matches. During his eighth-grade year, he won 22 matches to take the title of federal league champ at the 205-pound weight class.

Brandon won the Nate Baker Never Quit Award, which is given to the most improved eighth-grade wrestler.

Besides his improved record, Melissa Wise said, she saw a new confidence in her son — a confidence in himself and his teammates.

"He's really part of the (wrestling) family," she said. "When I see (a teammate) snapping his head gear and making sure his shoes are tied, it is the best feeling.

"He's confident in his wrestling and wrestling has give him so much more confidence. I think he feels like he finally belongs somewhere."

Long-time friend and teammate Gary Define agrees.

"I definitely think wrestling has exposed him to people that really want to be his friend and I think that he is realizing that," he said.

While Brandon said there is no way to predict how his wrestling season will go, his mother and coach know his hard work will pay off.

Page 3 of 3 - "He knows how to work hard and that is thanks to the coaching staff, his teammates and his dad," said coach Dave Riggs. "He tries his best every day and that is our expectation of every team member."

Just because a child is diagnosed, they don't always fit the standards set by the medical profession, she said.

"I don't know how many kids with autism play sports, but we made it part of Brandon's routine and that is how he does things. It worked for him, it's not going to work for everyone but why not try," she said. "Wrestling is hard for kids without disabilities, so for him to come this far and do as well as he is doing; he is climbing mountains and I couldn't ask for more."